Cuff fastener



P. F. CRONAN ET AL 2,873,497

CUFF FASTENER Feb. 17, 1959 Filed Aug. 20, 1956 INVENTORS PHILIP F. CRONAN FNNCIS P. CRONAN ATTORNEYS United States Patent CUFF FASTENER Philip F. Cronan and Francis P. Cronan, Attleboro, Mass, assignors to Dolan & Bullock Co., a corporation of Rhode Island Application August 20, 1956, Serial No. 605,042 2 Claims. (Cl. 24-100) This invention relates to a cuff fastener such as is used in a French type cuff of a mans shirt, and more particularly, to a link arrangement of novel construction.

One of the main objects of this invention is to improve the character of the cuff fastener by providing two complete heads that may be ornamented and connecting these two heads together by a novel link means which will be inexpensive to manufacture and particularly adapted for quantity production.

Another object of the invention is to provide a link structure which will adapt itself to the heads of the cuif fastener in a manner that will allow tilting of the heads relative to each other thereby automatically adjusting the heads to the angular relationship of the opposed cuffs of a shirt.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the cutf link generally in the position that it would assume in a shirt cuff;

Figure 2 is an elevational view, partially in section, of the cuff fastener in the same position as in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is another elevational view, partially in section, illustrating one of the heads in folded position for insertion into the cuff slot and showing by dashed lines a second position that one head assumes relative to the link;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the link; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the staple.

In proceeding with this invention, I may provide a generally fiat link with an elongated aperture near one end thereof and a means at the other end to couple the link to one of the ornamental heads of the cutf fastener. I also provide a generally U-shaped staple which may be passed through the aforesaid aperture and which is designed to have its two arms soldered to another head thus forming a completed cuff fastener.

With reference to the drawings, represents the link which may be made from flat bar stock or which may be fashioned in other manners upon the dictates of the designer. This link is provided with an aperture 11 therein that is generally elongated in character and which is spaced from one end of the link a sufiicient distance so that a bar 12 is formed at the end of the link, thus the end of the link may be said to have two arms 13 and 14 which are bridged by the bar 12. A generally U-shaped staple 15 which has two upstanding arms 16 and 17 is provided. It is of a width substantially equal to the distance between the arms 13 and 14 of the link 10. The bight of the staple 15 is provided at the central location thereof with a semi-circular recess 18 that is adapted to receive the bar 12 and serves as a centering means for the bar 12 2,873,497 Patented Feb. 17, 1959 ice when the link is in operative position (see Figure 2). The interior portion of the bight of the staple is formed with fiat surfaces 21 for a purpose as will hereinafterappear, and the legs 16 and 17 are adapted to be soldered or otherwise secured to a head 20 so that the flat surfaces 21 of the bight will be in substantial parallelism with the back surface of the head 20. The other end of the link 10 may be suitably fastened to a second ornamental head 22 in any suitable fashion such as by providing a hinging connection generally indicated 23 that may consist of two cars 24, 25 straddling the link 10 and fastened thereto by a rivet 26 that passes through the ears and the link. When this form of connection is utilized, it is appropriate that it be pivoted on an axis that is at right angles to the extent of the bar 12.

Referring now to Figure 3 for a brief description of the operation of this cuff fastener, it will be apparent that by merely swinging the head 20 so that it falls in parallelism to the link 10, a condition such as illustrated in Figure 3 will be obtained. In order to provide proper operation, it is necessary that the staple 15 have the flat surface 21 of its bight spaced not more than the distance of the diagonal of the bar 12 above the reverse side of the head 20. With this condition, it will be apparent that the head 20 will then slide relative to the link 11, the bar 12 remaining at all times within the confined area formed underneath the staple 15 and between the head 20. When it is desired to insert the fastener into the cuff, the frictional force of insertion will tend to slide the head 20 toward the head 22 to the position shown .in dashed lines, the reverse taking place when the cuff fastener is removed. It will be observed that in either of these positions, the bar 12 is captured in the confined area between the staple 15 and the head 20 so that it will not turn or rotate relative to the bar 20 to its right angular position. It will be apparent, therefore, that the tighter the bar 12 is gripped underneath the flat surface of the bite of the staple 15, the better the action of the cuff fastener. With the cuff fastener inserted into the cuff slots, the head 20 may be rotated so that the bar 12 is received in the recess 18. Pressure of the cuffs between the heads 22 and 20 will retain this position and it will be apparent that the head 20 will be permitted sufiicient movement in this position to align itself flat against the cuff. Also, if a pivoting arrangement is provided for the head 22, as: shown, a similar result will be obtained for the head 22.

We claim:

1. A cuff fastener comprising a flat link with spaced arms and having a bridging bar across the free end of said arms so as to define a central elongated opening, said bar having a rectangular cross-section, a button head connected to said link at the end opposite said her, a generally U-shape staple having spaced arms and a second head bridging said arms, said second head being of a size to extend beyond the ends and sides of said staple, the bight of said staple being spaced from said second head a distance less than the diagonal of the cross-section of said bridging bar, said staple passing through said central opening, there being a central recess in the bight of said staple in which said bridging bar may be positioned to pivotally move said second head about said bridging bar, said elongated opening being of a length substantially equal to the distance between the arms of said staple whereby upon swinging of said second head about said bridging bar one arm of said staple may be passed through said opening and moved along said opening to engage the inner end of said opening to position the bridging bar adjacent the other arm of said staple so as to hold said second head engaged References Cited in the file of this patent fiatwise along said link.

2. A cuff fastener as set forth in claim 1 wherein the UNITED STATES PATENTS width of the opening is slightly wider than the thickness 851946 Mathewson 1869 f the staple, whereby upon one arm of said staple being 5 261,892 Wood 1882 passed through said opening and said bridging bar mOVG 1,246,124 c 1917 along said bight to adjacent the other arm of said staple, FOREIGN PATENTS said second head may be swiveled about the said one arm in the plane or the seeond head to, move said staple so that a portion of the b ight adjacent said other arm overlies an 10 edge of said opening.

618,756 France Dec. 21, 1926 

